Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick said that Manti Te'o was at ESPN's college football awards show, on Dec. 6, when he received a phone call alerting him to the hoax. That was the moment, according to the Notre Dame timeline, that Te'o learned Lennay Kekua wasn't dead, and wasn't real. Here are quotes from Te'o in the days following Dec. 6 in which he makes reference to Kekua.

Fowler: "There were a lot of cameras around you this year, there was so much public sharing of very private moments, which shared moment will you never forget above the others?"

Te'o: "I think I'll never forget the time when I found out that, you know, my girlfriend passed away and the first person to run to my aid was my defensive coordinator, Coach [Bob] Diaco, and you know he said something very profound to me, he said ‘this is where your faith is tested.' Right after that, I ran into the players' lounge and I got on the phone with my parents – and I opened my eyes and my head coach was sitting right there. And so, you know, there are a hundred-plus people on our team and the defensive coordinator and our head coach took time to just go get one [of those players]. You know I think that was the most meaningful to me."

He said girlfriend Lennay Kekau "made me promise, when it happened, that I would stay and play."

On Dec. 26, according to Jack Swarbrick, Te'o told coaches and administrators that he had fallen victim to a hoax. Te'o was asked to provide details, and "was forthright, answered every question, and was eager to share the information with me."

On Jan. 3, at a BCS title game press conference, Te'o was asked how he got through "the turmoil you've faced with your grandmother and girlfriend." Here, at least, he avoided retelling the familiar, untrue tale:

Te'o: "I think whenever you're in football, it takes your mind off a lot of things. You know, this team is very special to me, and the guys on it have always been there for me, through the good times and the bad times. I rarely have a quiet time to myself because I always have somebody calling me, asking, do you want to go to the movies. Coach is always calling me asking me, 'Are you okay? Do you need anything?' I have three roommates, Zeke, Carlo and Robby Toma, who are always yelling at each other, who's going to play Call of Duty. I'm rarely by myself, and that's how I like it. I'm always around my guys, always around my family."